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Statements | Jewish (37)

Manifesto for Combating Religious Extremism

Conference of European Rabbis| 01.03.2015

The threat posed by religious extremists is global, immediate, violent and deeply rooted in issues of identity, theology and faith. Countless governments, think tanks and NGOs spend millions of dollars every year, debating and redeveloping strategies to deal with religious extremism but the Conference of European Rabbis believes that it is religious communities themselves who should carry the burden of responsibility to offer tangible solutions to this intractable global problem.

Nobody truly understands the strengths, weaknesses and subtleties of a faith community as well as deeply committed adherents to that faith. They are therefore uniquely placed to create meaningful change and must recognise their responsibilities in this area.

Platitudes and strongly worded statements distancing mainstream faith communities from acts of terrorism are entirely inadequate. This problem calls for tangible and measurable steps with honest evaluation of progress.

Transparency, accountability and theological integrity are essential in rebuilding trust across faith communities.

This manifesto proposes a deeply challenging set of principles which has been composed by and in consultation with senior religious leaders across Europe including Christian and Muslim figureheads.

It is our hope and prayer that leaders of faith communities across the continent will endorse this manifesto; that they will commit on a voluntary basis to observe the principles contained within it and they will in turn, promote its ideals and objectives. We welcome all constructive feedback from those involved in the fight against religious extremism and hope that this document provides a platform for further discussion and more meaningful engagement with the problem by religious figureheads.